In early 2005, the Brumbies squad and management made a trip down to Manly to undertake our annual season planning. A range of topics were covered: from leadership and alcohol policies, to game plans and strategies.
No issue was off the table.
As we moved onto the subject of our team values, I distinctly recall Bill Young declaring that whilst winning was important to him, he considered having fun his top priority.
He argued that he loved being part of the Brumbies because of the people involved, and that by focusing on having fun, he was able to get the best out of himself both on and off the field.
Frankly, I was annoyed.
How could anything be more important to a sports person than winning! How could Youngy call himself a professional and hold this belief? How was it that his view was perfectly acceptable to many of my teammates?
How could they all be so naïve?
A few days ago, I went for a run around Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin, and while I was completing my warm down stretches, I began to trawl through memories of my time as a professional rugby player.
I don’t often find myself inclined to introspection or reflection, but my time down by the lake was a profound experience.
I realised that my most treasured rugby memories had very little to do with playing the game.
Instead, my fondest recollections are of the fantastic people I’ve known and the many wonderful and sometimes crazy experiences we shared.
When I think of the Brumbies 2004 championship-winning season, I don’t remember the details of the matches, what the scores were, or how we won or lost.
But I certainly remember Matt Giteau’s sliding back the door on our moving minivan and posing shirtless to bemused onlookers on a busy South African highway.
I remember distinctly my many altercations with Steve Larkham.
When Steve’s consumed a beer or two, he morphs from the affable ‘Bernie’ into a rather pugnacious ‘Barney’ (of course, this was before he became the thoroughly professional coach he is today!).
As Barney, Steve had a peculiar and somewhat comical habit of attempting to “assault” his bigger and stronger teammates.
One such occasion occurred while in Cape Town in 2006.
At the time, South Africa was experiencing repeated electricity blackouts.
Despite being in a nightclub, Steve decided to use the cover of darkness to his advantage. Each time the lights went out, I received a flurry of blows to my head and body!
Somewhat predictably, what began as playful jabs turned into something slightly more serious, and I recall waking up the following morning to find fragments of Bernie’s skin embedded in my watch strap.
Good times.
Some images are forever burned into my mind.
Joe Roff performing power cleans in nothing but his underpants, a somewhat ‘dusty’ Owen Finegan being repeatedly struck in the head by the ball during a kick-off receipt drill, and I’ll never forget Jone Tawake informing our team doctor that he refused to travel with a certain teammate, for fear of catching his hay fever.
I’ll always treasure the privilege that was getting to know Shawn Mackay or the shock I felt learning about Julian Huxley’s brain tumour.
I guess my message to current players is this: acknowledge that the coming match is important.
How you train and play is a reflection of your values, and every match is chance to do something you love with your best mates.
But don’t for one second forget that the most important moments in your career have nothing to do with scoreboards or stardom.
Long after personal brands are finished and sponsors have left, long after celebrity has faded and the backslappers move on, once all of that is but a distant memory, the most valuable asset any rugby player, or indeed any person has left, is the quality of the relationships they have forged with the people they have know.
Psychologist and Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman summarizes decades of happiness research this way: “It is only a slight exaggeration to say that happiness is the experience of spending time with people you love and who love you.”
Bill Young knew this way back in 2005.
Perhaps I’m a slow learner, but I could not agree with him more.
Travis Hall
Guest
Great article but I am a little concerned that Clyde has publically admitted to learning something off Bill Young, very disturbing.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Clyde great article and I agree. I do not agree that having fun should be an excuse to not train and skip that critical tackle in a game. It is a hard game on both body and mind and the average lower level player wants to win but doesn't want to put themselves out too much. If you don't want to train or put yourself out go play tiddlywinks, rugby can cripple you in a second if you are not trained and hard enough in body and mind for the contest. This game relates fairly closely to a substitute war, or more correctly an outlet for young men's testosterone. This situation is not just happening in RU but a young RL player at my local shop was upset because 5 of his team did not turn up for a grand final last year as they had been out on the turps. I am old but this shocked me.
Dan
Guest
Thanks for the memories to you too Clyde. That was a very sincere and poignant piece, and wonderfully written too - I particularly like how you wrapped it up. We'll always remember your uncompromising and direct approach on the field and your grace off it. All the best to you and your family in all your endeavours from hear on. Hope to see you in these columns more often.
Purple Shag
Roar Guru
Classic post Rathbone. Great you're lifting the lid on the harmless sh!ts & giggles that went on around the brumbies camp, and not one voilated house pet among them which I guess is staying true to the code. I'd have to suggest though, that the laughs come a lot easier for a winning team. Sure they are what you remember, but the fact that the Brumbies reached the pinnacle of Super rugby (twice) didn't hurt facilitate a light hearted culture around the club. You played for a team that had consistently reached the top 5 from 99 until the wheels fell off in '08. Whilst I entirely agree with your premise that the laughs come first, success helps the laughs come in the first place. But like you said, the good times and the friends along the way is what it is all about. Thanks for the read.
blanco
Guest
Priceless! We knew about 'Bernie', but 'Barney' gives Stephen Larkham a new dimension!
JottingsOnRugby.com
Roar Pro
A very good post Clyde. No reason at all that the sentiments & reasoning so well articulated here should not be just as much as part of the professional game as they were in the amatuer era.
Scot Free
Guest
As klatu and pjbreck have alluded, IMHO having fun and winning are very closely related in sport, if not in life. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
mudskipper
Guest
Thanks Clyde excellent post, a nice piece of writing... great point, “It’s the journey not the destination that offers more rewards”… I look forward to your next post...
pjbreck
Guest
Is this the cause of teams not performing though? putting the emphasis on winning generally translates to 'winning ugly'. Is that not the main reason fans are turning away? And if you take a look at most teams that win trophies (except perhaps RWC) they look throughout the year that they are enjoying their rugby. I think Clyde is right, teams need to enjoy what they are doing, and then they will reap the rewards.
pjbreck
Guest
It took me 20 odd years to win a premiership and i loved every year leading up to it! great piece!
ted
Guest
bingo...well said Clyde the Glide
MikeG
Roar Rookie
Spot on, Clyde...Refreshing to hear an ex pro talking like this. It's why many of us, shall we say, not so talented players continued to play years after our wives, parents and body told us not too!! The memories that you gain from playing the game over many years will last a lifetime!
p.Tah
Guest
Lol :)
UB40
Guest
Firstly, you probably are a slow learner. Secondly, I'm glad I am not the only person who believes that getting drunk and doing stupid things with your mates is important. This one time at my book club we were discussing Chaucer and this lady dropped a whole tray of sandwiches. She then slipped on a piece of cucumber and all the way to the hospital I couldn't stop laughing. Later when a fight broke out in the Casualty Unit, I was glad to have the people from Book Club there punching on with me. Thankfully the injuries sustained in the brawl got us to the top of the triage list. Chaucer once said: "The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people." This is certainly true and I am loving your blogs big fella, keep them coming, they are full of wisdom.
Tacksharp
Guest
From a kiwi (who lives in NZ) - good on ya, mate. You have my respect. Keep writing - you have a talent.
The Battered Slav
Guest
Nice write up Clyde. There's nothing more I love than the stories of the antics and shenanigans that went on during rugby tours. Any chance of writing a regular column, so we can stand around the virtual pub and listen to the old war stories? I just finished reading Brian Moore's autobiography. Although he's English he's got some great tour stories. More of this on the roar please!!!!!
klatu
Guest
From a team perspective, this is true, but lets not forget whose paying the players to play..... the fans and sponsors, etc. In that sense, result is vital while at the same time the players must enjoy playing. If a team is not winning, is hard to imagine that they are having fun......
Danny
Guest
All the best Clyde although an AB supporter I admired your game and greatly respected your Brumbies team.
Gatesy
Guest
You only have to ask the old blokes going around in fifth grade, or the veterans, or all the "ex-props" who ended up in the front row, because they just kept getting fatter, why they play or love the game. It's indefinable, but one thing is for sure, you don't play a physical game like Rugby if not for the camaraderie and the mateship that comes out of it. Glad you've seen the light, Clyde.
WQ
Guest
Excellent post Clyde. I started playing Rugby when I went to school as a five year old in the King Country area of NZ and finished playing Rugby as a 41 year old in Western Queensland AUS. Over the many years that I played the game, I at different times enjoyed different levels of success in relation to winning. From the lows of losing Grand Finals after going through the main season undefeated, to the highs of winning a Grand Final after just keeping our heads above water throughout the main season. However the one thing that always remained the same was the enjoyment that I had surrounding the game. The fun and games shared with Team Mates at training, after Match functions, Rugby Trips were the things that kept me coming back year after year even though my body, not to mention my wife was telling me to Retire! They were and still are the things I miss since Retiring from the playing the game. Clyde you have made an excellent point that every Rugby player or supporter should never forget, play or watch the game to enjoy it and have fun.